Adding Emphasis

ADDING EMPHASIS IN ENGLISH
- SPECIAL FORMS
ADDING EMPHASIS
There are a number of ways to add emphasis to your
sentences in English. Use these forms to emphasize your
statements when you are expressing your opinions,
disagreeing, making strong suggestions, expressing
annoyance, etc.
USE OF THE PASSIVE
 The passive voice is used when focusing on the person

or thing affected by an action. Generally, more emphasis
is given to the beginning of a sentence. By using a
passive sentence, we emphasize by showing what
happens to something rather than who or what does
something.
 Example:
 Reports are expected by the end of the week.
 In this example, attention is called to what is expected of

students (reports).
INVERSION
 Invert the word order by placing a prepositional phrase

or another expression (at no time, suddenly into, little,
seldom, never, etc.) at the beginning of the sentence
followed by inverted word order.
 Examples:
 At no time did I say you couldn't come.

Hardly had I arrived when he started complaining.
Little did I understand what was happening.
Seldom have I felt so alone.
 Note that the auxiliary verb is placed before the subject
which is followed by the main verb.
INVERSION
 1. Inversion can take place after negative adverbials such

as never, nowhere, not for minute, not since, not until,
never again, rarely
 a. Never had he eaten such a huge meal.
 b. Nowhere will you come across a more hospitable

nation.
 c. Not until I reached home did I allow myself to
consider the result of my actions.
 d. Rarely do you meet a man of such integrity.
INVERSION
 2. Inversion can take place in certain established

sentence patterns.
 a. Hardly had the two strangers arrived when the
majority of the guests departed.
 b. No sooner had we sat down to dinner than there
came an explosion from the kitchen.
 c. Little did anyone realize the seriousness of the
situation .
INVERSION
 3. Inversion takes place after certain expressions with

only and no.
 a. Only when I myself became a parent did I realize the
value of m parent’s advice.
 b. Not only did she write short stories, but she.
INVERSION
 4. Inversion can be used instead of if in conditional.

 a. Should you ever come to London, I’ll show you
around (Type 1)
 b. Were he to realize the danger he was in, he would
not proceed with his plan.(Type 2)
 c. Had you arrived earlier, you would have seen a
most remarkable sight. ( Type 3)
EXPRESSING ANNOYANCE
 Use the continuous form modified by 'always', 'forever',

etc. to express annoyance at another person's action. This
form is considered an exception as it used to express a
routine rather than an action occurring at a particular
moment in time.
 Examples:
 Martha is always getting into trouble.

Peter is forever asking tricky questions.
George was always being reprimanded by his teachers.
 Note that this form is generally used with the present or
past continuous (he is always doing, they were always
doing).
CLEFT SENTENCES: IT
 Sentences introduced by 'It', like 'It is' or 'It was', are

often used to emphasize a specific subject or object. The
introductory clause is then followed by a relative
pronoun.
 Examples:
 It was I who received the promotion.

It is the awful weather that drives him crazy.
CLEFT SENTENCES: WHAT
 Sentences introduced by a clause beginning with 'What'

are also used to emphasize a specific subject or object.
The clause introduced by 'What' is employed as the
subject of the sentence as is followed by the verb 'to be'.
 Examples:
 What we need is a good long shower.

What he thinks isn't necessarily true.
EXCEPTIONAL USE OF 'DO' OR 'DID'
 You have probably learned that the auxiliary verbs 'do'

and 'did' are not used in positive sentences - for example:
He went to the store. NOT He did go to the store.
However, in order to emphasize something we feel
strongly these auxiliary verbs can be used as an
exception to the rule.
 Examples:
 No that's not true. John did speak to Mary.

I do believe that you should think twice about this
situation.
 Note this form is often used to express something
contrary to what another person believes.
THE END

Adding Emphasis

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ADDING EMPHASIS IN ENGLISH

 The passive voice is used when focusing on the person

 Reports are expected by the end of the week.

 In this example, attention is called to what is expected of

 Invert the word order by placing a prepositional phrase

 At no time did I say you couldn't come.

 1. Inversion can take place after negative adverbials such

 b. Nowhere will you come across a more hospitable

 2. Inversion can take place in certain established

 3. Inversion takes place after certain expressions with

 4. Inversion can be used instead of if in conditional.

 Use the continuous form modified by 'always', 'forever',

 Martha is always getting into trouble.

 Sentences introduced by 'It', like 'It is' or 'It was', are

 It was I who received the promotion.

 Sentences introduced by a clause beginning with 'What'

 What we need is a good long shower.

 You have probably learned that the auxiliary verbs 'do'

 No that's not true. John did speak to Mary.

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